Barnardo’s calls for protection in homes

A new report by children’s charity Barnardo’s claims that hundreds
of thousands of children in the UK are being emotionally scarred as
unrecorded victims of violence in the home.

It calls on the government to give a higher priority to the
protection of children facing long-term emotional damage through
exposure to domestic violence.

“Even when the child is not physically hit, domestic violence is an
abuse of children,” said Barnardo’s principal policy officer Alan
Coombe.

“The distress of children witnessing domestic violence is real and
often leads to devastating, lasting effects.” The charity is urging
the government to take into consideration emotional abuse, as well
as physical and sexual, in its drafting of the green paper for
children at risk.

– The report Bitter Legacy from www.barnardos.org.uk